


Unexpected Commonalities

by im_the_king_of_the_ocean



Series: The Fragility of a Suncatcher [4]
Category: Trollhunters (Cartoon)
Genre: Multi, redeemed!morgana
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-18
Updated: 2018-12-18
Packaged: 2019-09-21 18:17:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,369
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17048210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/im_the_king_of_the_ocean/pseuds/im_the_king_of_the_ocean
Summary: Strickler attempts to visit Barbara, only to find Morgana at the house too





	Unexpected Commonalities

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written as a ficlet request, but also works as an exploration of Strickler in relation to Morgana being redeemed.

The window shade is pulled down, but Walter can see the illumination of light behind it.That’s good, it means Barbara is indeed home.As he just came from checking the hospital, he knows she isn’t there either.Quite frankly, he doesn’t know where else she would be if not home or work.

Walter stares at his steering wheel.Fortune seems to be working in his favor.Now all he has to do is get out of his car, walk to her door, and knock.All with the knowledge this visit is both unexpected and unplanned.Barbara doesn’t necessarily _hate_ him, or, at least, he doesn’t think she does.But she hasn’t exactly reached out to him these past few weeks either.The potential meaning to be gleaned there being she doesn’t want to see him.That is entirely within her right of course.He just…he needs to hear it from her lips.

With a long sigh, Walter takes the key out of the ignition, exits and locks his car, and approaches the house.If he doesn’t do this tonight, he’d likely be back some other night.It would be best to just do it now and stop avoiding.

He knocks on her door.

It takes Barbara the time he needs to run through another internal debate about his course of action to answer the door.

Walter can’t help but smile when he sees her.Something about her presence makes everything better.

“Oh, Walter, hi,” Barbara speaks.“Is there something I can do for you?”

“I was hoping we could talk.I know things haven’t been, errr…well, the best between us and—” He cuts off at her sharp sigh.

“Look, Walter, this isn’t a good time.”Barbara pinches the bridge of her nose.“You still have my number, right?Shoot me a text tomorrow.We can work something out then, alright?”

“Oh…of course, yes.I understand.”Walter lets out a false laugh.“Tomorrow.I will send you a text.Good.”

Barbara smiles apologetically at him.“Goodnight, Walter.”

Mentally berating himself for his folly, Walter turns to go, but then he spots a woman observing them from the entryway into Barbara’s sitting area.Oh, of course, Barbara already company.That was why she—wait, _those eyes_.

Even with the distance between them, the woman’s green eyes stand out vividly and the way they gaze at him, almost like they _know_ him.Wait…

Walter lunges forward, grabs Barbara by the arm, and yanks her out of the house.“Get behind me!That’s—she’s— _Morgana_ —the Pale Lady!”

“Let go of—Walter, I know!”Barbara protests, but he ignores her. 

“Whatever she’s done to you, I will not rest until I find a way to reverse the effects.”Walter unfurls his wings.He needs to get them out of here.

“Stop it!Walter, listen to me. _Listen to me_.I know who she is!I’ve always known!I—”

He takes off.His wings beat against the night.He has Barbara.No harm can come to her while he—

The rock hits him squarely between the wings.Sweet Pale Lady, the _pain._ He freezes mid-wing beat.

Then he falls.

Everything goes black.

When Walter regains consciousness, he’s lying on a couch inside Barbara’s house.He aches, but not too badly.He sits up and looks around.Neither of the women are in his immediate line of sight.That’s troubling.He goes looking.

At the top of the stairs, Walter stops and sees the door to Barbara’s room is open.Inside, Barbara is lying down and Morgana sits on the edge of the bed.He watches as the sorceress leans over and tenderly strokes Barbara’s hair away from her face and Barbara places her hand overtop Morgana’s.

He’s torn between relief that Barbara doesn’t seem too injured after their fall and perturbed at the intimacy he sees between her and Morgana.How long has this been going on?If some type of spell is involved, he’ll have to use finesse to break it.

Walter continues to observe as Morgana leans over and applies a damp cloth to Barbara’s forehead.It’s…strange.Morgana has no audience.Well, unless she knows he’s watching, and even then, after what transpired, he can’t see reason for her to put on a show for him.Yet, here she is being soft.Gentle, even.

Waltolomew Stricklander, most changelings know, was one of the first.Fewer know that, technically, he was The First.If you consider those who came before him were the last failures of Morgana’s experimental stage in creating her changelings.He, therefore, has the privilege of understanding the Pale Lady better than any of his brethren.Or, at least, he has some ancient (barely ever revisited) memories of her, that others could only hope to dream of.

He, more than anyone, could recognize when she was acting genuinely, and not just acting.

She is acting genuinely now.

Morgana looks up and sees him.Quietly, she gets up, leaves Barbara’s room, and closes the door behind her.She stops directly between Walter and the door, blocking his path to it.

“Waltolomew.It’s been a while, has it not?”Morgana speaks.“If you wanted to meet, there are better ways than the ones you’ve gone about tonight.”

“You must understand my concern, _Morgana,_ ” Walter replies.“I _know_ you.”

“Do you?”Morgana flexes her fingers and examines her nails.“As I recall, the last we met, it was I who knew more of you.”She smirks at him.“Your desires haven’t changed at all.Should I advise you not to endanger the object of your affections?”

“Barbara never would have been in that situation if you—”

“If I what?”Morgana interrupts.“We were having a peaceful evening until you showed up.Let me clarify.I will advise you not to put Barbara in harm’s way again.If you do, I will not leave you without punishment.I may not have the powers I once did, but that is of little consequence.”

Walter’s eyes widen.“You _care_ for her?I don’t believe this.What reason could the _Pale Lady_ possibly have—”

“What reason could the oldest and perhaps most cunning of my changelings have to betray his purpose since his creation?”Morgana speaks over him.“You and I aren’t so different, Waltolomew.”

“I disagree.”Walter glowers.“I may not know what your machinations are, but I will not let you hurt Barbara.”

“I have no intention of doing so.Perhaps I did once, but, over the course of our time together, I have come to care deeply for Barbara.You wouldn’t perchance know what that’s like, would you?”Morgana grins.“Did you not hear me when I said I would not tolerate _you_ hurting her a moment ago?Are we not both threatening each other for the same person?”She chuckles.“It’s almost cute how you’ve deluded yourself, Waltolomew.You want to see distance between us.Separation.A divide.”She cocks her head curiously.“You’ve convinced yourself you cannot be evil if I am so much worse than you.Yet, I am becoming _good_.Can you say the same for yourself, I wonder?”

“Enough!”Walter snaps.“Forgive me, but trust is not something I’d consider giving to _you_.”

“What about me?”

Both Walter and Morgana turn at Barbara’s entrance.

“Walter, I know this must seem weird, but trust me when I say Morgana is on our side,” Barbara continues.“She’s had numerous opportunities to prove otherwise to me and she hasn’t.She wants to be a better person.I’m helping her do just that. _Trust me_.”

Walter stares at Barbara, the determined expression on her face.A part of him whispers to grab her and take her far away from here, to somewhere he knows is secure.But that would not solve anything.Probably not.At the very least, it would create a few new problems.His best best was to…

Trust Barbara.

“I do,” Walter says.“Trust you.But this concerns me.”

“Alright.We can meet under better circumstances to talk more.”Barbara looks to him, and then to Morgana.“But that’s enough for tonight I think.”Her expression leaves no room for arguments from either of them.


End file.
